Lambs
by Mercifully
Summary: [discontinued] [AU] He would soon learn that the woman with jade eyes was not a lamb in need of protection — as would the rest of the world.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Naruto.

 **A/N** This is going to be a KakaSaku story, the universe is loosely based on Fallout, and the rating is M for violence as well as language and possible sexual scenarios down the road. I think that's about all I needed to say, so, please enjoy and let me know how I'm doing!

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 _Don't send me no angel, this city's too cold.  
Cause I need a man with a black heart of gold._

Dark Nights, Dorothy

—

Four screeching faces appeared from the darkness. Sakura cursed herself and brought the gun in her hands to eye-level as the mutants came crashing forward, scrambling over each other in their efforts to reach her. She hated the feeling of the pistol, cold and heavy, but she couldn't very well go hand-to-hand with these monstrous creatures. Sakura monitored her breathing, counting the ins and outs, detaching herself from the panic that had taken ahold of her mind. If she panicked she would miss, and if she missed then she would be overtaken and devoured.

Flexing her finger, Sakura was rewarded with a sharp scream as her first bullet tore through its target. The other mutants didn't even hesitate, continuing to advance on her in a frenzy of limbs and crazed pain. She almost felt bad for them — after all, they used to be human, like her. She quickly stored that thought away. If she pitied them she wouldn't shoot them, and if she didn't shoot them… well, the consequences were the same as if she panicked.

A second shot rang out and her next target was limping rather than sprinting. The third shot stopped it from moving entirely. _One left._ It had closed more distance than Sakura had initially calculated for, probably because she had wasted two shots on the second one. She cursed herself again, backing up quickly to avoid its outstretched hands. Intense pain from elongated exposure to radiation had driven these people — no, these _creatures_ — to attack anything that moved, even if they were vastly outmatched. Sakura had found that they were very sloppy in their haste and had trouble changing their course if their prey managed to evade them with swift enough movements. She was nimble and relatively quick. Lucky for her, not as lucky for them.

Sakura raised the gun and sent it smashing down on the mutant's head with all of the force she could muster. Given her natural strength, that did the trick and knocked the thing prone where she then sent a single bullet through its brain to ensure that it didn't get back up.

She had managed to avoid being injured due to her quick reflexes but that was a bit too close for her comfort. Sakura scanned over the ground and the bodies that laid there, looking for anything that might be useful. Although it was rare, sometimes the mutants had pieces of clothing still clinging to their wretched forms and sometimes those pieces of clothing contained money and supplies. She reached out to look through the tattered jacket that covered one, but about halfway there she stopped. _Four._ The number sent chills down her spine. There had been four. Hadn't there? Yes: there had most certainly been four mutants stumbling out of the brush to attack her.

Sakura stood and whipped her head around, sending pink hair flying about as she searched wildly. Mutants didn't sneak around, nor did they just run away. They were far from stealthy and their pain made them reckless, so they weren't calculating enough to realize they would lose. Her heart picked up its pace, crushing her ribs with its anxious rhythm. _Where the fuck—_

On the edge of the brush a few meters away she found the absent fourth. It was laying face down and as she approached it, Sakura could see that it had a single bullet lodged in its spine. That bullet must have shattered the bone and sent shards into vital organs because it was laying in a veritable lake of its own blood. Sakura had to admit that it was an excellent shot and it certainly hadn't come from her gun, which meant that there was someone else out here. Why hadn't they helped her with the other mutants?

Somewhat angry, Sakura swallowed her fear and took a step into the bushes, following the blood. Her movements were quiet and calculated as she scanned around for whoever had made that shot. The blood led back to a small clearing within the dense foliage where a man stood with a sword in one hand and a gun in the other, surveying his handiwork. Around him there were multiple mutated corpses, most of them slashed clean through, presumably by his hand. So that was why he hadn't helped her — he had been a little busy attending to his own problems.

Sakura breathed out quietly, not sure whether to announce her presence or not. Yes, this man only a meter or two in front of her had dispatched a mutant threat which probably meant they were on the same side. However, it was always wise to be cautious about who you interacted with during times like these: there were bandits that roamed the abandoned streets in search of people to rob. Funny how nuclear fallout could cause all of this. Limited resources meant that only the strong survived. Sakura absently wondered if the lone man would deem her unfit for survival.

Against her better judgment, she stepped forward into the clearing while opting to leave distance between herself and the stranger. She cleared her throat to get his attention and he turned to face her. He certainly didn't look like a bandit. But then again, how was she supposed to know when his features were largely covered by some sort of mask, probably with the purpose of keeping irradiated air out of his mouth and lungs. Dark eyes met her own and she was consumed with a brief terror at the feral quality she found in them. His muscles had tensed and he was leveling his gun at her. Sakura stood, mouth agape, words frozen on her tongue. Within an instant he had dropped the gun back to his side and the wildness in his eyes had dissipated, replaced with lazy curiosity.

"I hadn't expected anyone to be out here." He must have noticed the fear in her face, because he began to sheathe both his sword and his gun. "Sorry about that," he said in a voice that held no sincerity or concern. She closed her mouth and the tension left her limbs — well, he didn't seem to have any interest in killing her. He didn't seem to have any interest in anything really: all of the intensity his eyes had held was gone.

Sakura refocused with the aid of the stranger snapping his fingers in front of her glazed eyes. She was startled for a moment after realizing he had closed the distance between them and was standing before her with a bored expression now mildly tinged in irritation. She had somehow managed to space out completely in front of a man who could have killed her with any one of his multiple weapons. What was wrong with her today? She wasn't being herself; sloppily drawing the attention of several mutants, losing her usual mindfulness in front of a complete stranger.

"Are you okay?"

Sakura only nodded in reply, finding herself a bit too dizzy to speak. She took note of the way the man's eyes evaluated her, noticing that although they were both dark, one was actually a deep maroon while the other was nearly black. She also took note of how he moved to catch her with incredible swiftness as she fell forward, no longer able to hold herself up. Her jade eyes closed as he took the weight of her slack form into his arms.

—

Kakashi felt concern crash over himself as the woman before him began to sway on her feet. She hadn't spoken a word to him and she seemed to be barely present in terms of consciousness. When she was no longer able to support herself, he moved to sweep her up. He was a bit surprised at just how light she was and realized it had probably been quite some time since she had last eaten. Chances were she had collapsed from a combination of hunger and exhaustion.

Kakashi breathed a sigh as he shifted her around until he was holding her bridal style in his arms. He couldn't just leave her here for any mutants passing by to snack on, that would be … unethical. He also didn't really want to stay in the gore-filled clearing and wait for her to wake up so that he could be on his way. Normally he would've asked her if someone was waiting for her somewhere but she was currently suffering from a minor spell of unconsciousness. That left him with little choice: he would have to take her back to the others. Although he always considered it, he somewhat doubted that she had anyone else, and his base did have a habit of taking in strays. It was probably in her best interest to go, really.

The masked man took a moment to look at her face. It was smeared with blood and dirt but somehow still managed to be pretty. Dark eyelashes covered her eyes which had been a bright gemstone shade that quickly dimmed as she succumbed to exhaustion. Rosy hair framed her high cheekbones and her cheeks seemed to be very gaunt, probably due to weight loss. Food was hard to come by once you exitted the small areas of civilization. He wondered briefly what she was doing out here, at least a mile from the nearest town.

 _There go my plans for today,_ Kakashi thought as he moved forward into the trees. His eyes shifted to the girl in his arms once again — _You're welcome._ His hands were full but he managed to maneuver a small book out of its place in his jacket pocket. He flipped it open with one thumb and began to read as he walked, humming quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Naruto.

 **A/N** I'm going to go ahead and admit that I didn't expect this much of a response. Thank you all for reviewing, following, and favoriting. Honestly, it's made my entire week! So, my goal is to update this story every week (probably on Thursday). However, I am taking summer classes at my university so I can't guarantee that I won't have busy weeks every now and then. Anyway, please continue to let me know how I'm doing!

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 _Lord, she's the end of days and there's hell to pay.  
_ _She's a wildfire._

Wild Fire, Dorothy

—

Kakashi looked at his unconscious charge with weary eyes.

It had been several hours since he had crossed into Konoha with her in his arms. Konohagakure had been their base's designated name — it meant "village hidden in the leaves" and was chosen because the small town was concealed excellently within a spread of camphor trees. Invasions of any kind were rare here and so, despite being part of the base's guard, Kakashi was left in charge of the sleeping girl until such a time as she woke up. He would have preferred to do just about anything else but arguing with Tsunade, the ever-angry woman who ran their little village, was unwise and hardly worth it.

Normally one of the medics they had on hand would be watching her but they'd been dispatched to aid a few guards that had returned from patrol a little worse for wear. Kakashi drummed a few fingers against his knee absently as he wondered just why Izumo, Kotetsu, _and_ Genma had come back to base covered in dirt and in need of medical attention. Judging by the embarrassment on their faces as Tsunade questioned their scrapes and bruises, Kakashi guessed that they had decided to do some sparring while on patrol and had gotten carried away.

His thoughts derailed when he saw the fluttering of eyelashes. _She's awake._ He got to his feet but stayed at the edge of the small medical tent, allowing her some space to gather her bearings. She sat up and her eyes widened a fraction of a hair, probably realizing that she had no idea where she was. He had expected that much but what came next surprised him. In an instant she had pulled herself from the cot and grabbed the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon. Now the pink-haired girl was wielding a crutch and staring him down, prepared to fight her way out of the tent if necessary.

"Where am I?" she demanded. The tenacity in her voice was as unexpected as her actions. Kakashi almost chuckled as he realized the mistake he'd made in judging her — she was not nearly as delicate as he had first suspected. "And who are you?"

"You're in Konoha." That was true, but not exactly forthcoming. "And I am Hatake Kakashi."

"How did I get here?"

"You ran into me while I was on patrol and then passed out, so I carried you here."

She had the decency to look embarrassed and lower the crutch, dropping her aggressive posture. "Oh, um, thanks." Her eyes lowered to the ground and Kakashi noticed that they were once again a glimmering shade of green. He gave her a moment to absorb that before asking, "And you are?"

She looked up and blushed again, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. "Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

"Well, Sakura, I think our village leader would be interested in hearing you're awake. But first, were you traveling with anyone else?" When she shook her head in answer, Kakashi thought he detected a second of hesitation. The masked man decided to drop the subject for the time being, but eventually he would need to press her for the truth.

Gesturing for Sakura to follow, he stepped out of the tent and into the sunlight.

—

Sakura frowned. She hadn't lied to him, per se: she had been traveling alone for nearly two weeks. She simply neglected to tell him that it hadn't always been that way. She wasn't sure what this Konoha place was all about but until she was certain it wouldn't endanger her friends, she would say nothing of them. Of course, even if she did want to disclose their location she wouldn't be able to because she had lost communication with them some time ago.

"I swear if those two get themselves hurt," she growled quietly.

Sasuke had become very secretive before just disappearing altogether one night about two weeks ago. Naruto had decided to chase him down, leaving Sakura on her own. He had also promised that he'd only be gone for a few days — he'd search for Sasuke and then come back with or without him. But the blonde was tenacious by nature and she hadn't been surprised when he didn't return. She'd decided to push forward, confident that the two of them would be able to take care of themselves. Since then she had wondered if her decision was the right one.

Pushing the troubles from her mind, Sakura began to look around Konoha for the first time. It was actually a rather spacious territory enclosed by incredibly thick trees that kept it hidden from view. She hadn't seen any villages since the detonation nearly thirteen years ago, and while this one was small, the comfort she drew from it was enormous.

Sakura marveled at the wooden buildings, at the people smiling and laughing. It was as if the war had never happened. As if nuclear detonations from multiple countries hadn't destroyed half of the world. She found herself smiling as well.

In front of her, Kakashi slowed to a stop. Sakura swiveled her head to face him and saw that they were standing before a particularly large wooden building. He had said that she needed to meet the woman who ran the village. Tsunade? — yes, that was the name. Sakura chewed on her lower lip, anxiety swirling up inside of her. "So, uh, why does she want to talk to me?"

Kakashi almost missed the question it had come so quietly, he looked at her from the corners of his eyes. "She didn't exactly say but I'd guess she wants to know who you are and where you came from. You were pretty close to the village."

"Oh."

He could almost smell the nervousness on her. A tinge of acridness to her otherwise sweet, blossomy scent. Finally he turned his entire head to face her and gave an encouraging smile, which she could only detect by the way his eyes crinkled. "Relax, she doesn't bite." _She doesn't need to._ He kept that last bit to himself, not wanting to make Sakura anymore unsure than she already was. Tsunade was a very caring woman — she might shout a lot and be otherwise intimidating, but she cared more about people than anyone he'd ever met.

Sakura stared at him as his warm expression held and found herself returning it. His smile was kind of … cute. She looked over him appraisingly. He had to be ten years older than her but in much better shape. That wasn't to say Sakura wasn't in shape — she was slender and toned, with strong legs and a tight stomach — he was just incredibly built, which she could tell from the strength and dexterity he'd shown.

Sakura felt pink creep into her cheeks and she turned away from him. He didn't seem to notice, but his smile disappeared as she faced the front of the hall once again. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, allowing her to move in ahead of him.

The interior of the building was cool and smelled faintly of alcohol which made Sakura's nose scrunch up slightly. As the door swung shut behind them, Kakashi continued forward down a hallway which had two doors. The one at the end was cracked open a bit and Sakura tried to peek in as they paused in front of it. Kakashi knocked and was greeted by a sharp voice from the other side, "Just a minute."

Sakura listened to the ensuing argument with increasing dread. Kakashi stared at her from the corners of his eyes, _So much for not terrifying her._

"And what if someone had been injured!" It wasn't really a question, but a meek answer came anyway, "We didn't think—" Sakura cringed as she heard a woman's voice grind back, "Exactly, try to use your head next time! Now go and see the medical staff and get patched up."

Sakura took a step back as the door creaked open to reveal a blonde woman sitting with a few empty glasses in front of her and a bottle of sake on the edge of her desk. She was repositioning herself now, leaning back in her chair and tossing her long legs over the portion of the desk stacked with paperwork. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was massaging her head with one hand while the fingers of her other hand tapped agitatedly. _Tsunade._

Sakura redirected her jade gaze to the man who was leaving the office. His head was down but she could see a faint blush across his cheekbones. He also looked a bit worse for wear: his clothing was ruffled and he had cuts all along his exposed arms. His brown eyes shifted upward to look at Kakashi and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Kakashi seemed to be smiling beneath his mask.

"Yo, Genma."

"Hey, Kakashi—" he stopped short as his eyes caught Sakura's. Just like that he had forgotten about Kakashi and was now entirely focused on the woman before him, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"My name is Sakura."

"Oh… Sakura," Genma answered, tasting her name. He was seemingly content to stand there in the doorway and stare at her.

Kakashi found himself somewhat irritated and he took Genma by the arm, dragging the notorious playboy away with him. "I'm sure you two can meet later, keeping Tsunade waiting is a bad idea," his words were directed more toward Sakura than the man he had grabbed. Nevertheless, Genma was the one who answered, "That's rich, coming from you."

His chocolatey eyes didn't leave Sakura until they were halfway down the hall when Kakashi paused and looked back at her once more. He gave her a small smile, his eye crinkling once again, and then proceeded out of sight. Sakura heard the front door open and then close as the two men left the building. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then pushed her way inside the office where Tsunade was waiting.


End file.
